Small and irregular shaped mattress sheet cover system and method

ABSTRACT

A small and irregular shaped mattress sheet cover system for covering a bunk mattress. The system includes a flexible tubular cover that includes a body slightly smaller in width than a small or irregular shaped bunk mattress and with a closed end and an open end. The body fits longitudinally and snuggly around the bunk mattress. In one embodiment, the bunk mattress is triangular and fits inside pointed berth area on a boat. The cover may include optional end flap and optional pull straps. The method includes the steps of rolling the body into a flat ring configuration, aligning the ring with the end of the mattress, and then longitudinally pull and unrolling the ring over the mattress. The mattress may be folded or compressed inward. The pull straps are used to pull the body over the mattress. The mattress is then allowed to expand and conform to the body.

This utility patent application is based upon and claims the filing datebenefit of U.S. provisional patent application (Application No.61/535459) filed on Sep. 16, 2011.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the following patent document containsoriginal material which is subject to copyright protection. Thecopyright owner has no objection to the facsimile or digital downloadreproduction of all or part of the patent document, but otherwisereserves all copyrights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to sheet covers for small or irregular-shaped bedmattresses designed to remain taunt, wrinkle free, and retained on themattress when used.

2. Description of the Related Art

Many boats, dormitories and studio apartments have small and sometimesirregular bunk spaces where a complimentary shaped foam mattress may beplaced and used as a bed. For example, some boats typically have cutterbows that come to a knife-like point to cut through waves for fasterspeeds. Other boats have bluff bows that expand to the width of the boatto allow more deck cargo space. In most boats, a bedroom or birth forofficers and passengers is typically located in the tip area of the bowthat require the use of triangular shaped accommodate a custom,complimentary shaped single mattress or a set of one or two triangularshaped mattresses.

To protect a mattress and to provide greater comfort to the individualresting on the mattress, a lower sheet cover is commonly installed overthe top surface of mattress. Such sheet covers become soiled with usageand must be exchanged with clean sheet covers on a regular basis. Tohold the lower sheet cover on the mattress, the sheet must have a sizeand shape that is complimentary with the mattress so that the edges ofthe sheet cover can be tucked in all around under the bottom edges ofthe mattress. Unfortunately, complimentary shaped sheet covers forsmaller, irregular shaped mattresses are not available. Also, the birthareas in a ship are compact and have limited head space making the bed‘making’ task difficult.

What is needed is a small or irregular shaped mattress and sheet coversystem that address the problems associated lower sheet covers on asmall or irregular shaped mattresses.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above needs are addressed and satisfied by the bunk mattress andsheet cover system disclosed herein that includes a tubular coverdesigned to slide longitudinally and fit snuggly over the bunk mattress.The tubular cover includes sock-shaped body rectangular or oval incross-section with a closed end and an open opposite end. The body ismade of soft flexible material that enables it to be rolled into a flat,flexible ring structure for easily installation. Formed or attached tothe body adjacent to the open end is an optional flap that can be tuckedunder the end of the mattress to hold the body in place and optionalpull straps that enable the use to pull the body in a ring configurationover the mattress during installation.

The body is made of made of cotton with a cross-section shape slightlysmaller than the bunk mattress so that bunk mattress must be squeezedinward to fit inside the body during installation. When relaxed, themattress expands outward causing the surfaces of the body to becometaunt and wrinkle free. The body may be the same size or slightly longerthan the bunk mattress, thereby enabling the body to completely surroundthe mattress.

In one embodiment, the bunk mattress is made of foam and is triangularand designed to fit into a triangular shaped birth on a boat.

Using the above described tubular cover, a method of forming a bunkmattress with a continuously taunt, sheet cover is taught comprising thesteps: selecting a foam bunk mattress and the tubular cover; rolling thetubular cover into a flat, ring structure with a center opening; alignedthe ring structure along one end of the bunk mattress; extending the endof the bunk mattress into the center opening formed on the ringstructure; and unrolling the ring structure longitudinally over the bunkmattress so that the entire bunk mattress is covered by the tubularcover.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of an individual sleeping on a bunk mattressin a confined sleeping area of a boat in the prior art and showing thelower sheet placed over the mattress being un-tucked from the mattress.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bunk mattress and sock-like coverdisclosed herein showing the cover is a partially rolled upconfiguration being unrolled for placement over the mattress.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the cover placed over the mattress.

FIG. 4 is a sectional top plan view of the bow of a boat showing a bertharea in the point of the bow with two triangular shaped foam mattressespositioned side by side in the berth area with each mattress beingcovered by a tubular cover.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a triangular foam mattress used in theberth area on a ship being covered by a tubular cover with four extendedpull straps that are used to pull the tubular cover over the mattress.

FIG. 6 is a partial side elevational view of the open end of the tubularcover showing the ends of the two pull straps attached thereto andextended.

FIG. 7 is a partial side elevational view of the tubular cover shown inFIG. 6 showing the two pull straps being aligned over the body and thebody and the pull straps being rolled into a ring configuration.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

Referring to the accompanying FIGS. 1-7, there is shown a bunk bed sheetcover system, generally indicated by the reference number 10, comprisinga small or irregular shaped mattress 12 and sock-like, tubular cover 20designed to slide longitudinally and fits snuggly over the mattress 12.A small mattress 12 is defined as a regular mattress less than a twinsize mattress (38 inches (W)×79 inches (L)×6 inches (H) and an irregularshape mattress is a mattress that is triangular with two straight sideedges or two side edges and one curved edge.

The tubular cover 20 is designed to fit over the foam mattress 12 act asa protective lower sheet . The tubular cover 20 is designed to be easilyattached, removed and machine washable. More specifically, the tubularcover 20 includes a rectangular body 22 configured to completelysurround and fit closely over the mattress 12. The body 22 includes atleast one closed end 24 and one open end 26. The body 22 islongitudinally aligned with the foam mattress 12 so that it may beslowly unrolled over the foam mattress 12. As shown in FIG. 3, the body22 is approximately the same length of the foam mattress 12 so that theentire mattress 12 is covered when installed. Formed adjacent to theopen end 26 is an optional rectangular flap 28 that can be tucked underthe end of the foam mattress 12 to hold the body 20 in place.

The body 22 is a rectangular tubular structure similar to a duffel bag.In the preferred embodiment, the body 22 is made of heavy cotton(material similar to the material used to manufacture a cotton sweatshirt). The body 22 is rolled into a flat ring configuration 32 with ancenter opening 32. The cotton material is designed to stretch and thebody 22 has a width ¼ to ½ inches less than the mattress 12 so thatmattress 12 must be compressed and squeezed inward in order to fitinside the body 20. When the tubular body 20 is fully extended over thebunk mattress 12, the bunk mattress 12 relaxes and expands outwardcausing the top, bottom, sides and end to become tight. Because the body20 completely covers the bunk mattress 12, there are no loose edges thatcan become un-tucked when sleeping.

FIG. 4 is a sectional top plan view of the bow of a boat 100 showing aberth area 102 in the point of the bow with two triangular shaped foammattresses 12′, 12″ positioned side-by-side in the berth area 102 witheach mattress 12′, 12′ being covered by a tubular cover 20′, 20′,respectively.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one of the triangular foam mattress 12′used in the berth area 102 being covered by a tubular cover 20′ in aring configuration with four extended pull straps 110-116 longitudinallyaligned and extending outward from the open end that are used to bullthe ring structure longitudinally over the mattress 12′.

FIG. 6 is a partial side elevational view of the open end of the tubularcover 12′ showing the ends of the two pull straps 110, 112 attachedthereto and extended.

FIG. 7 is a partial side elevational view of the tubular cover shown inFIG. 6 showing the two pull straps 110, 112 being aligned over the body22 and the body 22 and the pull straps 110, 112 being rolled into a ringconfiguration.

In addition to the bunk mattress and cover system 10 a method of forminga small or irregular shaped mattress with a lower sheet cover comprisingthe steps: selecting a foam mattress 12; selecting a tubular cover 20;rolling the tubular cover 20 into a flat, ring structure 30 with acenter opening 32; aligned the ring structure 30 along one end of themattress 12; extending the end of the mattress 12 into the centeropening formed 32 on the ring structure 30; and unrolling the ringstructure 30 longitudinally over the mattress 12 so that the entiremattress 12 is covered by the tubular cover 20

In compliance with the statute, the invention described herein has beendescribed in language more or less specific as to structural features.It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited tothe specific features shown, since the means and construction shown iscomprised only of the preferred embodiments for putting the inventioninto effect. The invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms ormodifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the amendedclaims, appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine ofequivalents.

I claim:
 1. A small and irregular mattress sheet cover system,comprising: a. a small or irregular foam mattress; and, b. a removaltubular cover configured to be disposed tightly around said mattress,said tubular cover includes a closed end and an open end and made ofsoft stretchable material that enables said cover to be rolled into aring configuration and then disposed over one end of said mattress andeasily unrolled around said mattress to place said cover around saidmattress.
 2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said cover ismade of cotton;
 3. The system as recited in claim 1 further including anend flap adjacent to said open end of said cover.
 4. The system asrecited in claim 1, further include a plurality pull straps attached tosaid cover adjacent to said open end.
 5. The system as recited in claim1, wherein said mattress is triangular and configured to fit into theberth area of a boat.
 6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein saidcover is made of cotton;
 7. The system as recited in claim 5 furtherincluding an end flap adjacent to said open end of said cover.
 8. Thesystem as recited in claim 5, further include a plurality pull strapsattached to said cover adjacent to said open end.
 9. The system asrecited in claim 1, wherein said mattress is rectangular and measuresapproximate 34 to 37 inches in width and 75 to 79 inches in length. 10.The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said mattress includes twostraight edges and one curved edge.
 11. A method for forming a mattresswith a continuous taunt sheet cover comprising the following steps: a.selecting a foam mattress; b. selecting a tubular cover that includes abody made of machine washable material with an open and a closed end; b.rolling said body into a flat, ring structure with a center opening; c.aligned said ring structure along one end of said foam mattress; d.extending the end of said foam mattress into said center opening formedon said ring structure; and, e. unrolling said ring structurelongitudinally over said foam mattress so that the entire said foammattress is covered by said tubular cover.
 12. The method as recited inclaim 11, further including said tubular body includes an end flaplongitudinally aligned and extending from said open end of said body,said flap being folded under said foam mattress after said ringstructure as been unrolled over said mattress.
 13. The method as recitedin claim 12, further including said tubular body having pull strapslongitudinally aligned and extending from said open end of said body,said pull straps being attached to the inside surface of said bodyadjacent to said end opening and used to pull said ring structurelongitudinally over said mattress.